Fighting Fair
by x-NewGirlInTown-x
Summary: Written for the 100 Quotes of Life Challenge. A lover's tiff between James and Lily, but we all know it can only end one way... *winks* Please RxR


**Disclaimer: **Alas, just another imitation of the great J.K Rowling's work.

**Author's Note: **Okay, so this was written for the 100 Quotes of Life Challenge (HPFC, of course.) so thanks go to **sick-atxxheart** for creating it :) I chose to use the quotes "Remind me again why I married you?" and "That wasn't fair" to create another Lily/James fic - this is the result. As always, reviews are not only welcome, but pretty much like Gold. :P

* * *

Nineteen-year-old Lily Evans ran down the stairs of her home in Godric's Hollow, a massive pile of dirty washing teetering precariously in her arms. Not wanting to drop everything, she hurried towards the kitchen, kicking the door open clumsily with one foot, and walked in.

Items scattered everywhere as her arms and mouth dropped in shock.

Lily wasn't exactly a proud house-wife, unlike her irritatingly perfect elder sister. _She_ could tolerate a little dust, a few papers scattered here and there. It gave the house a lived-in feel, without saying "we're total slobs." But she always, _always_ made a point of leaving everywere spotless before she went to bed. She couldn't help it: it was something her mother had instilled in her as a child, and she had maintained it through all her time at Hogwarts and into her adult life.

Which is why she was totally unprepared to see a bomb-site had replaced her kitchen in the 15 minutes that she had been awake.

The sink was piled high with dirty dishes, the tap dripping forlornly onto a single plate. The counter was covered in drippings of strawberry jam, a pot still lying out, open - _and_ on it's side. Large muddy footprints traversed the brightly tiled floor, and lead her now-angry gaze straight to the culprit: her husband, James, who was sitting at the table, sipping a mug of tea and perusing a copy of _**The Daily Prophet**_**.**

"Good morning, Lilyflower," he said jovially, although he never tooks his eyes off the _**Quidditch News **_pages.

"_Is_ it?" Lily muttered disbelievingly, her eyes once more scanning the wreckage that was her kitchen. Then she moved her gaze back to her husband, who had still not looked up, and worked to keep her temper in check.

"James. _Darling_," she said, in a tightly controlled voice. "What did you do to the kitchen?" She tried to sound vaguely amused about the whole thing, but failed miserably, only succeeding in sounding slightly strained.

"Hmmm?" James muttered, finally glancing up. He saw her hand gesturing but missed the wide-eyed annoyance on her face, and said, "Oh, that. I was just making something to eat. Don't worry, Flower, I'll clean it up in a bit."

"Ummm..have you forgotten that Sirius is coming round in an hour?" she questioned, sharp irritation leaking into her tone. James must have noticed because he miraculously managed to tear his eyes away from the sports pages once again.

"You honestly think Padfoot will mind a bit of mess, Lils? You've seen his place, remember?" He grinned at her, but Lily didn't return it. _A bit of mess? _Talk about an understatement.

"No, I don't think he will mind, to be honest," she said her voice rising slightly, "but _I_ do."

"Lily, calm down," said James, sensing her annoyance but inadvertently adding fuel to the flames. "I said I'd clean it up, remember? Just relax, love."

At that word, Lily gave up trying to remain civil.

"_Relax?_"she snapped. "_Relax?_ Easy for you to say, James - it's all you ever bloody do!"

"Hey, that's not fair," James protested, rising and approaching her. Lily backed against the sticky counter, probably ruining her favourite top in her quest to avoid proximity with his 6'2" frame. It would only make the urge to reach up and slap him far more tempting...

"Oh well _sorry_, James, I promise that in the future I'll _always_ fight fair, OK?" she fumed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"OK, Lily, what's _wrong_ with you today?" James stepped closer towards her, placing his hands on the counter either side of her, effectively hemming her in. At the sight of the genuine confusion on his handsome face, Lily's fury boiled over.

"What's wrong? What's _wrong_? Merlin, James, are you that _bloody_ stupid?" She gestured around the pigsty of a kitchen, and then continued her rant, which was gaining momentum.

"It's like ever since we left Hogwarts, I wake up every morning and wash -- mostly _your_ clothes, by the way, the ones you leave scattered across the bedroom floor _every_ sodding night! -- and then I clean, and then I cook, and then I wash again! I'm _not_ a bloody house-elf James! But I do it all, because stupidly, I love you, and then I come down here and see you can't even be bothered to tidy up your own _sodding_ mess when your own _sodding _friend is on his way over here?"

She stopped to draw breath, her eyes flashing dangerously as James just stared her, making no move to speak. That only enraged her even more.

"Ughh! You're so...so...infuriating, James Potter, _and_ lazy, and selfish - in fact, remind me again _why_ I married you?"

And, just like that, his mouth was on hers, and Lily stopped yelling. Hell, she stopped thinking. Instead, she just let herself feel.

The words had been designed to hurt, and if it had been anyone else they might had walked away from her, but not James. He took her furious sililoquizing as a challenge, and _boy_, was he reminding her.

His mouth was firm and sweet against hers as he slid his hands gently round her waist and pulled her body closer to him. Lily moaned softly at the contact, her ire forgotten, and could almost feel her husband grin briefly against her mouth. He deepened the kiss, and Lily practically purred, threading her fingers into his thick black hair as James slid his hands up and buried them in her own. He walked two steps forward, until she was once again pressed against the counter, more jam staining her top. Lily didn't care. In fact, she barely even noticed.

They stayed like that for several minutes, tongues dancing, hearts racing, until eventually, after what seemed like an eternity without coherent thought or oxygen, James pulled away, and rested his forehead gently against his wife's.

"That's why," he murmered softly.

Lily stood for a moment, her breathing ragged, her thoughts a raging whirl of love and desire. It was only when she saw a satisfied smirk slide into place on James' face that reason cut through the haze in her brain. It reminded her of her earlier fury and strengthened her resolve. Locking her emerald orbs with James' hazel ones, she narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"That wasn't fair," she accused through gritted teeth.

James grinned.

"Lily, Love," he responded, as he kissed her lightly on the nose before returning, still grinning, to _**The Prophet**_. "_I_ never promised to fight fair, remember? How do you think I got you to marry me in the first place?"

Lily stood for a moment with her hands on her hips, and then sighed defeatedly.

She had to admit, he had her there.


End file.
